Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

This will be exciting.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

I'm more interested in the analysis of the debate and the highlights. I think most people here have already committed to their candidate. Like South Park says, undecided voters are the biggest idiots in the world.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

It would've been more exciting if McCain had stuck to his guns in regards to not attending the debate. I, for one, wanted to see Obama take part in a one-man debate.

Me = more excited for the VP debate.

Is there room in this thread to dicuss the harsh beating Palin took from the lovely Katie Couric?

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

No, but if you'd like to revive the Palin thread, that would be ok.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

But McCain already won!

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the...ns_debate.html

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Rhetorically, I can't see Mccain or Palin winning any debates. I think that interview was funny, but just a tad unfair in a sense. The media knows they got a dunce, so they ask questions that they know she can't answer and most politians won't be able to answer clearly. Lol

The debate tonight will be interesting though. Which station will it be on? And at what time?

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

FOX, NBC, CBS, ABC, KQED, and CNN.

And I'm sure more.

6:00 if you still live in Davis.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

vs.

Is it East vs. West? Or man against man?

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

I like the blatant lies that Jon McCain is saying about Obama, and when Obama says "That's not true," he laughs at him.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

This is such an awkward debate.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

9:28 PM..

this is an uncomfortable situation

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Did Obama just call John "Tom?"

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I really wish McCain would stop snickering and laughing.

If I knew nothing about either of these candidates before this started, I would think nothing of him except that he is a condescending...bad word.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

How in the world are we winning in the middle east?

We aren't, we never have, and we never will.

I've said it once and I'll say it again, the Middle East will never be fixed. Why? We are imposing a western culture onto a non western people. Western countries went into the Middle East and divided it up into little countries that do not actually exist. Country lines were not drawn where tribal lines already existed. We were just like "Hrrm, the forest ends here, this is a good place to end this country and start the next one." or "Hey, there's a mountain there, and a river there, lets divide it here."

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

This is more uncomfortable than that Mary Tyler Moore reunion on Oprah!

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Actually, Great Britain and France drew most of those "imaginary lines," not America. The issues in the Middle East are much more complex than simply the border forming post-World War I.

This is still an extremely awkward debate.

I honestly want to close my eyes.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

...I never said America. I said the West.

Yes, it is, but it's naive and stupid to say that isn't an issue. It is a fundamental flaw, and one of the roots of the problem.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

And where the is McCain's lapel pin?

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Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Maybe it's just me, but..

addressing the Iran question with a reference to the Holocaust. That was just classy.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Ahhh, we paused my TV for about 5 minutes a while back.

I was like, "WTH is BF talking about?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law

it's not just for the internets anymore!

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

I thought Mcain did a good job.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

:rofl:

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

I'm not really sure what I think of the debate.. I have to post about it later when I think about it more

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

I couldn't agree more.

He really pounded Obama for his lack of experience.

Plus, McCain already knows our world's leaders both near and far.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

This was a very poor debate. McCain's and Obama's personalities simply do not mesh into a smooth discussion. It's rigid, awkward, and odd.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

I agree with Bond and most of the comments about how uncomfortable the debate was. I didn;t see the whole thing, but from what I saw I'm willing to call it a draw. Obama pushed McCain on the run-up to the war, and McCain pushed Obama on the surge and experience.

Overall , it just felt like a series on in-person attack ads.

BTW, I am loving the way CNN has reinvented itself. Its probably the only place where you can really find even handed reporting and analysis, since Fox leans hard conservative but has left-wing voices to provide some balance, and MSNBC has gone off the deep-end.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

That was constructive.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

The experience argument is a dead horse, especially now that he picked Sarah Palin to possibly lead our country. And experience alone doesn't mean anything.

And you really thought it was a series of personal attacks? The mot offensive thing Obama said during the entire debate was, "It doesn't mean we invite them over for tea." And that wasn't even directed at McCain, it was directed at the picture McCain was trying to paint of Obama.

McCain, on the other hand, spent the entire debate snickering and giggling like a little school girl, and at points telling blatant lies about Obama, and repeating the phrase "Obama doesn't understand." Obama, when retaliating to these lies, would simply say "That isn't true." And explain why. He never got defensive. When McCain said something true, he would say, "John is right."

Obama defended his beliefs and explained his opinions, while McCain attacked Obama's and rarely defended his own.

I'm not sure about you, but I know which kind of politics I prefer.

@Fyacin: So was your comment.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

:rofl:

Oh wait....

Bias sees what Bias wants. I'm not saying I'm not biased of course, just that arguing won't contribute anything.


I did find it funny when Mcain stumbled over "imanutjob's" name.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

If I'm only seeing things through biased eyes, then, please, humor me and post what personal attacks Obama made.

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I'm not sure where you got your "personal attacks" idea from, but I said in-person attack ads. I call any accusation at the other, rather than an expolanation of personal beliefs, attacks. Both candidates took part in that.

And for the record, I found the most disrespectful thing done the entire night was when Obama constantly referred to McCian as "John" and not by his title, which is the custom. The man's been a Senator for 30 years, he deserves the respect.

Overall, I hated Lehrer's idea of having the candidates speak to one another. This is a debate, not a conversation. There is a structure that has been proven in time and use. In Congress, there is a reason why all discussion is directed at the SPEAKER and not one another: It creates awkward moments and unconstructive discourse. And thats what we saw.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

When Barack sends me emails he signs them Barack, not Mr. Obama or Barack Obama. The whole "calling someone by their title is the respectful thing to do" is pretty much gone now. Its not like hes showing disrespect calling him John.

Obama listened to Mcains arguements, recognized them, and stated how he disagrees. Mcain snickerd a lot and looked stupid. But whatever he is the Maverick so all is forgiven!

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Talk about seeing things through a biased.

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Please explain. Blanket statements like this enlighten no one, including myself... And for the record, I've never claimed to NOT be biased. I'm obviously a fan of McCain and I dislike Obama greatly. I;ve been clear on this I think. Your analysis is biased as well, obviously, but I at least expect discourse and not empty blanket statements.

As for considering the debate a tie, I don't think thats good for McCain. This was McCain's issue, and he should have been more impressive and won decidedly if he wants to win he election. He didn't, and that will not sit well with undecided voters.

As for referring to one another by their title, its not something of the past... its currently done every day in Congress. Do yourself a favor and turn on CSPAN sometime. The tactic of calling McCain "John" was calculated and purposeful, because Obama needed to show himself as a colleague, and not a junior senator. In that respect, I think he was affective. Disrespectful, especially when McCain referred to Obama properly? Very.

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Just the fact that you thought -that- was the most disrespectful thing, rather than the other things I've already said.

Also:

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I figured the polls would show well for Obama, and that reflects that independents would have expected McCain to do much better than he did on the foreign policy issue.

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

Yet you still contend that McCain is better for the job? If McCain isn't even good at what he is supposed to be good at according to the independents, then...what is he good at? Seriously..It's over. 50% to 42% according to Gallup at this point.

This too, by the way...http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=...ntial-election

I am writing drunk from the UK, so if this isn't a great post, I understand, it's more of a a partisan gloat..

Re: Game On: The First Presidential Debate
 

You confuse performance during a debate for performance as president. I can say McCain did not perform that well during the debate, but still is by far the more qualified and superior candidare on almost every level. McCain came off a little bitter, and did not challenge Obama on some glaring misstatements, such as when Obama claimed McCain's accusation that Obama voted for a tax increase for Americans making $45k year. Obama vehemently accused McCain of lying about it, but in fact Obama DID vote for that tax increase according to FactCheck.

MCCain also spent too much time talking about spending when he should have stayed on the bailout topic when they talked economics. That was the hot button issue, and McCain looked like he was deflecting, when actually I think he was addressing a core issue. It came off bad.

A tie in a foreign policy debate is a win for Obama because of expectations. Obama is still the favorite, and now I think much more likely to win. It also doesn't take away from the fact he is one of the worst candidates ever to run for President.


I wonder what those numbers of Lichter's would be like post-Palin nomination? Also, being the Spring and early summer when Lichter did the study on Obama/McCain, was Obama still heads-up with CLINTON at the time? There are a lot of variables we don't know, and none of his points address any of the points I have made about media bias.